Success is more a function of consistent common sense than it is of genius.
An Wang,
computer engineer, inventor

We need role models who are going to break the mold.
Carly Simon,
singer, songwriter

The most important thing is to enjoy your life – to be happy – it’s all that matters.
Audrey Hepburn

Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor.
Sholom Aleichem

We do not remember days, we remember moments.
Cesare Pavese

Throughout life people will make you mad, disrespect you and treat you bad. Let God deal with the things they do, cause hate in your heart will consume you too.
Will Smith

The truth is you don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow. Life is a crazy ride, and nothing is guaranteed.
Eminem

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.
Buddha

Life is a song – sing it. Life is a game – play it. Life is a challenge – meet it. Life is a dream – realize it. Life is a sacrifice – offer it. Life is love – enjoy it.
Sai Baba

Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you’re living?
Bob Marley

If you live long enough, you’ll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you’ll be a better person. It’s how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit.
William J. Clinton

The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.
Joseph Campbell

The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.
William Morris

If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.
Bruce Lee

Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them – that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.
Lao Tzu

This life, which had been the tomb of his virtue and of his honour, is but a walking shadow; a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
William Shakespeare

“Waking up this morning, I smile. 24 brand new hours are before me. I vow to live fully in each moment.”
Thich Nhat Hanh

“When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”
Marcus Aurelius

“The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day.”
Henry Ward Beecher

“Morning is an important time of day, because how you spend your morning can often tell you what kind of day you are going to have.”
Lemony Snicket

“Just one small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day.”
Dalai Lama

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
Anne Frank

“I get up every morning and it’s going to be a great day. You never know when it’s going to be over so I refuse to have a bad day.”
Paul Henderson

“Now that your eyes are open, make the sun jealous with your burning passion to start the day. Make the sun jealous or stay in bed.”
Malak El Halabi

“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”
Robert Louis Stevenson

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
Mark Twain

“A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”
Oscar Wilde

“Every morning brings new potential, but if you dwell on the misfortunes of the day before, you tend to overlook tremendous opportunities.”
Harvey Mackay

“Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.”
Napoleon Hill

“You have to have a dream so you can get up in the morning.”
Billy Wilder

“The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don’t go back to sleep.”
Rumi

“Every day brings new choices.”
Martha Beck

“You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction.”
George Horace Lorimer

“Give every day the chance to become the most beautiful day of your life.”
Mark Twain

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
Confucius

“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”
Maria Robinson

“It is only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth – and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up – that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had.”
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

“Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.”
Buddha

“No matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid.”
Lupita Nyong’o

“The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.”
Albert Ellis

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.”
Anatole France

“If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”
Bruce Lee

“An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day.”
“If one advances confidently in the direction of one’s dreams, and endeavors to live the life which one has imagined, one will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”
Henry David Thoreau

“When a resolute young fellow steps up to the great bully, the world, and takes him boldly by the beard, he is often surprised to find it comes off in his hand, and that it was only tied on to scare away the timid adventurers.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.”
Earl Nightingale

“To dare is to lose one’s footing momentarily. To not dare is to lose oneself.”
Soren Kierkegaard

“Though I might travel afar, I will meet only what I carry with me, for every man is a mirror. We see only ourselves reflected in those around us.
Their attitudes and actions are only a reflection of our own.
The whole world and its condition has its counter parts within us all.
Turn the gaze inward. Correct yourself and your world will change.”
Kristen Zambucka

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
George Eliot

“If you take responsibility for yourself you will develop a hunger to accomplish your dreams.”
Les Brown

Knowing what you need to do to improve your life takes wisdom. Pushing yourself to do it takes courage.
Mel Robbins

My favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time.
Steve Jobs

If you see something beautiful in someone, speak it.
Ruthie Lindsey

I’d rather be optimistic and wrong, than pessimistic and right.
Elon Musk

It doesn’t matter if you flip burgers, bricks or houses. Just don’t sit on your ass all day flipping channels. Hustle.
Denzel Washington

“The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.”
M. Scott Peck

“Too busy” is a myth. People make time for the things that are really important to them.
Mandy Hale

A stone is broken by the last stroke of the hammer. This doesn’t mean that the 1st stroke is useless. Success is the result of continuous and persistent effort.
Unknown

Failure is not an impediment, she is a teacher. A brutal mistress that will give you experience more valuable than any easy win.
Unknown

We have seen what we thought was unseeable.
Sheperd Doeleman,
astrophysicist and director of the Event Horizon Telescope project, when unveiling the first picture of a black hole on April 10

Some of the secret joys of living are not found by rushing from point A to point B, but by inventing some imaginary letters along the way.
Douglas Pagels,
writer

The tragedy of a thoughtless man is not that he doesn’t think, but that he thinks that he’s thinking.
Andrzej Majewski,
writer and photographer

The difference between death and taxes is death doesn’t get worse every time Congress meets.
Will Rogers,
actor, humorist, social commentator

[Human evolution] just got even messier, more complicated and a whole lot more interesting.
Matt Tocheri,
anthropologist, about the recent discovery of a previously unknown human species

It’s not the load that breaks you down. It’s the way you carry it.
Lou Holtz,
former football player, coach and analyst

Stress is caused by being ‘here’ but wanting to be ‘there.’
Eckhart Tolle,
spiritual teacher

There cannot be a stressful crisis next week. My schedule is already full.
Henry Kissinger,
former US secretary of state

Our nation will succeed or fail to the degree that all of us — citizens and businesses alike — are active participants in building strong, sustainable and enriching communities.
Arnold Hiatt,
corporate executive

Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.
H. Jackson Brown Jr.,
author

Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.
Desmond Tutu,

Happiest are the people who give most happiness to others.
Denis Diderot,
philosopher

Every attempt to reach new milestones holds opportunities for us to learn, adjust and progress.
Jim Bridenstine,
NASA administrator, after Israel’s Beresheet spacecraft crashed on the moon

If you treat every situation as a life and death matter, you’ll die a lot of times.
Dean Smith,
college basketball coach

Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.
Hans Selye,
endocrinologist and stress researcher

Change obstacles into challenges. You might have to step back and go a different direction, but you can achieve.
Raye Montague,
naval engineer who revolutionized the design process for naval ships, and US Navy’s first female program manager of ships

Put your ego in your pocket and sit on it.
Beverly Jenkins,
author

Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations.
Mae Jemison,
engineer, physician, NASA astronaut and first black woman to travel into space

The joy of poetry is that it will wait for you. Novels don’t wait for you. Characters change. But poetry will wait. I think it’s the greatest art.
Sonia Sanchez,
poet and recipient of the 2018 Wallace Stevens Award

What matters most is that we learn from living.
Doris Lessing,
writer and Nobel Prize winner

We speak of educating our children. Do we know that our children also educate us?
Lydia Sigourney,
poet

Life doesn’t begin when you lose weight. Big dreams can be planned for and achieved in the bodies we have today, regardless of size or age.
Deb Malkin,
one of at least 20 plus-size women who hiked Mount Kilimanjaro together from March 2 to 10

Lack of effort bends me out of shape.
Bernadette Locke-Mattox,
first woman to serve as assistant coach for a men’s NCAA Division I basketball team

Happiness? The color of it must be spring green.
Frances Mayes,
professor, writer and “Under the Tuscan Sun” memoirist

If there’s anything you’ve wanted to do for yourself, just get out and go for it.
Arlene Pieper,
first woman to finish a US marathon (Pikes Peak Marathon, 1959)

I place a high moral value on the way people behave. I find it repellent to … behave with anything other than courtesy in the old sense of the word — politeness of the heart, a gentleness of the spirit.
Fran Lebowitz,
author

I had a running compiler and nobody would touch it because, they carefully told me, computers could only do arithmetic; they could not do programs.
Rear Adm. Grace Murray Hopper,
developer of the first compiler for a computer programming language

I never did understand the trick of doing things like you were “supposed to.”
Karen Uhlenbeck,
mathematician, professor and first female winner of the prestigious Abel Prize (2019)

I had very little idea of what I was supposed to be doing, so I set out to learn. What I essentially did was to put one foot in front of the other, shut my eyes, and step off the edge.
Katharine Graham,
second female publisher of a major American newspaper

The best book, like the best speech, will do it all — make us laugh, think, cry and cheer — preferably in that order.
Madeleine Albright,
first female US secretary of state

I want people to walk around delusional about how great they can be — and then to fight so hard for it every day that the lie becomes the truth.
Lady Gaga,
singer, actress, Academy Award-winning songwriter and first artist to log more than 1 billion YouTube views

Take a limitation and turn it into an opportunity. Take an opportunity and turn it into an adventure by dreaming BIG!
Jo Franz,
author and speaker living with multiple sclerosis

It doesn’t matter what your background is and where you come from. If you have dreams and goals, that’s all that matters.
Serena Williams,
tennis player with the most Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles among active players

Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.
Christian D. Larson

Normality is a paved road: it’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow.
Vincent Van Gogh

A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.
Hercules

I am not what happened to me. I am what I choose to become.
C. G. Jung

Not ONE DROP of my self-worth depends on your acceptance of me. Say it out loud. Smile. Repeat.
Quincy Jones

Life is not always perfect, but it’s always what you make it. So make it count, make it memorable, and never let anyone steal your happiness.
Unknown

No magic potions. No fairy dust. No one to do it for you. Just me, I will push you, show you, how to put one determined foot in front of the other. That’s what I will do. I am inside you… I’m called your inner strength. Dig deep down and find me.
Unknown

Today's selection -- from The Amusement Park by Stephen M. Silverman. In the late 1800s, Atlantic City became the nation's playground, with the country's first boardwalk, first amusement piers, and a melting pot of Germans, Irish and Italians and more: "Atlantic City's Boardwalk ... 'became a stage,' said James Lilliefors, who made a study of America's boardwalks, 'a […]

Today's encore selection -- from "O Muse! You Do Make Things Difficult!" by Diane Ackerman. Famous writers and their odd ways of writing: "Dame Edith Sitwell used to lie in an open coffin for a while before she began her day's writing. When I mentioned this macabre bit of gossip to a poet friend, he said acidly, […]

When I was in 10th Special Forces, we tried a program that was called Trojan Warrior. 2 A-Teams were chosen to participate in this, while my team took all the tests, but didn’t get the training, as the measuring mark. Those teams were taught meditation, proper diet, biofeedback and more. They had sports experts come […]

This is a stack of close to $700 worth of information, courses, and other material bundled together for less than $50. Yes, I purchased one because there’s a lot of good information in it. It’s available for only one week starting today, 9/10. There is definitely material in here that you will find useful. Ever […]

When I was at NINC last year in Florida, I was telling my mailing list that all the exciting developments in audio are coming from outside Amazon right now, from people like Findaway, Kobo, Chirp/BookBub, and various companies serving the library market. This is a most welcome development because it also feels like many of […]

(And I thought the song was bizarre! Can’t say I don’t enjoy them though.) It was a week to remember . . . Not really in a good. First full week of school, which was fun and I got into … Continue reading →

I find myself, today, looking up the football schedule for the University of South Carolina. We’ve always been a LSU family because H went to school there. It doesn’t hurt that I’m from Louisiana. Then…Andrew decided to go to Troy State University to pursue his college career. That’s when he became a part of The […]

Today I turn 36! Age is just a number, they say, and the older I get, the more I realize the truth in that statement. With every year, I feel both changed and exactly the same. There are parts of me that will always be and there are parts that will shift over time. One […]

How about a tip on how to store onions in the refrigerator where they're always ready to use in recipes?Onions are hard to store in a refrigerator because they tend to stink up the entire fridge. Whatever else you have stored in the fridge will reek of onion too.I came up with this solution several […]

Last night I watched The Sapphires, a new release on Netflix. You can also find it on Amazon Video.The Sapphires is a 2012 Australian musical comedy-drama movie based on a 2004 stage play of the same name.Loosely based on a true story, the story is about 4 indigenous Australian women, Gail (portrayed by Deborah Mailman), […]

********* The Cape Peninsula and Western Cape region are absolutely breathtaking! I especially love the turquoise waters that are so typical for the Cape scenery. You can instantly recognize this region just by that color – that’s how special it is! A Road Trip Around the Cape Peninsula One of the most fun things to do […]

"Jacqueline Cochran was looking for WASP. They told me I would have to be interviewed and they would contact me when they came to the Wichita area. But I didn’t wait for that. I went down to Houston for my interview, to speed things up. And I think that’s one of the smartest things I […]

"My first flight was with a barnstormer at the age of five. I loved it! I also tried to 'fly' out of the barn loft with an umbrella. This was less than successful..." WASP Jean Terrell McCreery, 44-10 The indomitable Marguerite Jean Terrell Moreo McCreery has "...slipped the surly bonds of Earth. And danced the skies on […]

The Minstral Show – (Episode 075) Welcome to the Minstral Show, the podcast that spotlights the very best music from around the world, made exclusively in the 21st century. Today’s episode brings you great new music by The Rembrandts, James Parker, Smoke Stack Rhino, Peter Buffett, The Claim, Gandalf’s Fist and Fink; along with exceptional […]

I read this YA book in the mid to late 70’s. It is definitely NOT Deathwatch or The Most Dangerous Game but it has similarities to both. A man is being hunted by another man – I think simply because … Continue reading →

Long Shot: A Hoops Novel by Kennedy Ryan Narrated by Sean Crisden and Jo Raylan Emotional Sports Romance. Standalone in a Related Series. I finished reading Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan a few weeks ago but have fallen behind on reviews, and honestly, I felt like my words can not do this book justice. Normally […]

Ahhhh, as much as I adore summer and can never get enough of the lovely warm months in my cold hemisphere, there is something about falling into autumn that is lovely too. The crisp air is invigorating, and the excitement of the kids going to back to school is contagious. I always feel ready to […]

We are excited to give away an Amazon Gift Card worth $20 to one of our lucky visitors. We will be doing many more of these in the future. This is the first one we have done in a while. To enter, please follow the instructions on the giveaway app below. Good luck! a Rafflecopter […]

We love introducing Prolific Works readers to great stories and big ideas. Take a chance on new authors and try great stories from old favorites. See it first every day with Prolific Works and be free to discover authors you’ll love. We’re thrilled to share the latest and greatest from our teen and young adult […]

Having a child is one of the most beautiful and important things in anyone’s life. However, it should be noted that this is not a walk in the park, and everyone should make sure that they are prepared 100 percent. Everything is a lot easier nowadays because you have access to a lot of sources […]

Readers often ask if IKEA furniture is non-toxic. As is often the case when searching for non-toxic products, the answer is not a simple yes or no. In general, IKEA is a good first place to start when looking for affordable items with lower levels of toxicity because the company has long been committed to […]

Question from Miriam I generally try to avoid acrylic but my son would really like this lamp for his room that is acrylic. Would you consider this non-toxic? The description says: Expertly crafted of acrylic and iron. Metal parts are finished in Satin Nickel. On/off switch located on clear cord. Shade is included and exterior […]

So I’m officially jealous of the Eustis High School hot pepper plant. I grow lots of peppers–hot, sweet and Hungarian–and my plants have NEVER grown larger than 18″ in height. Ever. Imagine my surprise when I visited the high school this week to discover this enormous pepper plant! I stopped. Blinked. And double-checked the fruit […]

Among homeowners, there has been some debate over using pressure-treated lumber when building raised beds for the home vegetable garden, specifically regarding the safety of our food consumption. As a mother, I completely understand the concern. I’m an organic gardener because I want the best for my family–no toxic chemicals, pesticides, GMOs, etc. While my […]

Moisturizing, astringent, and stimulating to circulation, this all-natural undereye serum can be helpful for dark circles and puffy skin. The recipe was discovered within the pages of the Botanical Skin Care Recipe Book. Created as a companion to the Herbal Academy’s lovely Botanical Skin Care Course, the recipe book is also sold separately on their […]

The most juicy, tender chicken with the easiest marinade. Dijon, honey, olive oil, rosemary, lemon. THE BEST EVER. So I kind of wore a down jacket today. I know. It was 67 degrees F. That’s cold. Except it’s going to be 89 tomorrow! Midwest weather is crazy, guys. At least in Los Angeles, it was […]

The post September 15, 2019 – WIFE APPRECIATION DAY – NATIONAL CHEESE TOAST DAY – GREENPEACE DAY – NATIONAL FELT HAT DAY – NATIONAL DOUBLE CHEESEBURGER DAY – NATIONAL LINGUINE DAY – NATIONAL TACKLE KIDS CANCER DAY – NATIONAL ONLINE LEARNING DAY – NATIONAL CREME DE MENTHE DAY appeared first on National Day Calendar.

The ultimate caramel popcorn! With a thin, crispy, even coating of caramel on every piece, this caramel corn stays crispy for weeks. Make this with or without corn syrup – I’ve discovered the perfect substitute that works 100% perfectly! Caramel corn is a terrific grazing dessert for gatherings. And because it stays fresh for weeks, it makes for a... […]

The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier High fantasy released by Penguin on September 3, 2019 Eighteen-year-old Liobhan is a powerful singer and an expert whistle player. Her brother has a voice to melt the hardest heart, and is a rare talent on the harp. But Liobhan’s burning ambition is to join the elite warrior […]

Guest review of The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier High fantasy released by Penguin on September 3, 2019 Eighteen-year-old Liobhan is a powerful singer and an expert whistle player. Her brother has a voice to melt the hardest heart, and is a rare talent on the harp. But Liobhan’s burning ambition is to join […]

September 12Woke to temperatures in the low 40s, a tad chilly as I'd not run the catalytic heater. Slept fine, but getting out from under the covers proved difficult until my bladder declared it was time.Waited till the temperatures were above 50 degress (barely) and headed out on Fiona to check out the end of […]

September 10.I displaced to the Pike National Forest area, in the section bounded by CR77 to the south and CR56 to the north. There are several nice campsites here and the dirt roads aren't too bad for motorhomes.There are several campers in the area, none too close to me based on the site I chose […]

I wrote this column eighteen years ago. It was originally published in The Nevada Appeal on September 26, 2001 My Own Battlefields in This New War “It’s awful here. BUT I’M ALIVE,” our older daughter finally wrote in response to one of my frantic emails. She had moved to New York City just six days […]

Reblogged from Strange Goings-On in the Shed: It comes to pass that the Traveller sails to distant islands, shrouded in mist and foreboding. Sky and Sea infuse the senses with deep melancholy. The Guardians of the land stand remote, silent … Continue reading →